Several dozen people marched through downtown Portland and the South Park Blocks Monday to protest what they called Saudi Arabia’s violent crackdown on Ethiopian workers in the Middle Eastern kingdom.

Men, women and children marched down Southwest Broadway carrying signs and chanting during the noon hour. Many wore black t-shirts with a large red hand reading “Stop violence against Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia.”

Protesters spread the word of Monday’s march through a Facebook page and at Ethiopian restaurants and other community institutions.

“We’re just out here standing up for our people,” Wienta Mebrahtu said.

Mebrahtu said the issue of violence against foreign workers in Saudi Arabia has grown more visible in recent weeks.